Battleship Down
by Neko-chan4
Summary: A Jesse/James shipper. James is attempting an all-nighter in order to keep Valentine's Day from coming. It's a fight against sleep, time, hidden feelings, and a board full of little plastic ships...Will WAFF prevail? Or will James' plan capsive with hi


Battleship Down

Battleship Down

By Nichole (Neko-chan) Johnson

Rating: PG (Oops! Did James say the 'd' word?)

Categories: Humor (well, depending on your _sense of humor), romance_

Disclaimer: Naturally, though I may wish, I don't own Jesse, James, Meowth or the rights to Battleship those _other people do, so if you're them don't sue me, yadda, yadda, yadda!_

Summary: A late night (or is it early morning?) game of Battleship becomes the start of something more.

Author's Note: I was just sitting at home on one of those boring I-have-absolutely-nothing-to-do summer days when this popped into my head.It probably took me only 3 hours to write—a lot less than it took for my other stories—and I personally think it's my best so far.I'll let you decide for yourself ^_^

"B-3," says Jesse, leaning her chin in her hands out of boredom.I can sympathize, barely able to stifle my own yawn.

"Miss," I reply, blinking rapidly in an effort to chase away the second Jesse in my vision.

Lazily she marks off the point on her board, trying to stifle a yawn of her own.She has been a good sport so far about staying up with me all night, but I can tell her patience is wearing thin.Trying not to make her snap at this point is like walking on thin ice during a warm spell.When Jesse's tired, she's cranky.

And we were out of coffee.

Sprawled haphazardly on the chair next to me, Meowth has already lost the battle with sleep—playing cards from a recent poker game scattered haphazardly across his chest and head.I glare at him, jealous that he can sleep and I can't.

Well, as much as I can glare while trying to keep my eyelids from gluing themselves shut.

"James!Your move!" snaps Jesse's voice, breaking into my sleep-deprived thoughts.

At least she doesn't look as tired when she snaps.

"Uh," I answer intelligently, looking for a good spot on my board.Rows upon rows of black dots!How could I ever pick one?

A-1.That had to be it.Jesse probably put her ships in the corners.After all, she obviously wasn't as smart as I was—none of hers were in the middle.

Just as I'm about to utter my brilliant deduction and ruin her little scheme…

"Snap out of it!Either pick a point or let me go to bed already!" growls Jesse, hitting me with a shower of red and white plastic pellets.Her hand is balled up in a tight fist and her eyebrow has that familiar twitch to it.I know that look.She's mad.

Probably knew I was about to score a hit.

"A-1," I say hastily, unable to hide the smugness in my voice.Jesse just rolls her eyes for some reason and regards her board with a bored expression.Uh, no pun intended.

Not because of me, of course.Probably just because she's tired.

Unless I just hallucinated it.I shake my head vigorously.I think I need caffeine—Jesse's beginning to multiply again.

"Miss," she mutters again in a dull, monotone voice.I sigh and mark A-1 off on my board.So much for my brilliant corners-theory.She must have lined them up on the bottom.

All of a sudden, said person bangs her head down on the table.

Hah! I think.She's given up all hope of ever finding one of my ships.She must realize that I'm too smart for her and have already figured out her brilliant line-up scheme.

Or she just passed out from lack of sleep.

"E-4," comes her mumbled answer to my unvoiced thoughts, causing me to smile confidently to myself.

Until I look at my board, that is.

"Hit," I mutter darkly, viciously stabbing a red pellet into my discovered ship.

Jesse raises her head from the table, a cruel smile on her face.

If anything makes Jesse happy, it's ruining my good mood.

And hitting me and insulting me and making me dress as a girl…

"Really?" comes her not at all surprised reply.Rub it in, Jess, rub it in…

She taps her chin thoughtfully with one ungloved finger, taking her time picking the next shot, and I find myself staring.

The evil look is gone, replaced by a look of careful concentration as her deep blue eyes scan the playing board calculatingly, considering and dismissing points.

Meanwhile, my eyes have gone from simple staring to tracing the curve of her lips and the soft slant of her chin.And staring into those ocean-like eyes.

Those eyes…

Whoa, snap out of it, James!What are you thinking?!You're angry with her, dammit!

"F-4," she says finally, turning her gaze on me and snapping me out of my reverie.

I avert my eyes—fighting the sudden urge to take her in my arms and kiss her—and look at my board.

"Hit," I respond emotionlessly.

I look up to see her proud grin.Winning no longer matters, only that grin.And those eyes…

Whoa, whoa, whoa! screams my brain.This is not happening!She's my _friend!_

But my eyes don't care.So what if I'm losing, she's gorgeous!

No, no, no!This _can't happen!This is the entire reason I'm doing this!The entire reason I can__ not fall asleep!Because tomorrow—_

"G-4."

Her voice breaks into my thoughts like a droplet hitting a pool.Mentally shaking myself and pushing my conflicting emotions to the back of my mind, I bring my attention back to the task at hand.

"Uh…hit," I mutter, adding another red pellet and not at all surprised.Jesse giggles happily, making my heart ache.

"Who's the smart one now?" she says smugly.I blink, biting my lip.

My heart desperately wants to lean across the table, grab her hand and tell her how seductive she looks when she's being smug, while my mind desperately holds me back.

Don't get attached, James, it screams.You have to protect yourself…You have to protect yourself from rejection.

The entire reason I am sitting here, playing Battleship at 1 o'clock in the morning, one leg asleep and the other halfway there, barely able to keep my eyes open.

Trying to stall.Trying to make the day never come.Struggling in vain to delete it off the calendar and never again see that dreaded February 14th staring me in the face.

What cruel person came up with Valentine's Day, anyway?

A hand waves in front of my face.

"Hell-ooo?Earth to James!" says Jesse in a singsong voice.I blink."Well, you're alive.What's the matter?"She narrows her eyes at me suspiciously and I can feel the panic rising in my throat.

I force a smile."Just shocked that you're beating me," I lie.She snorts and rolls her eyes.

"James, I've been beating you all night!At Clue, at Scrabble, at Gin, at War, at poker, at Monopoly, and…and…"

"Outburst," I add helpfully.She grins and my heart tightens painfully in my chest.

"James, that's _seven games I've beaten you at, and you're __shocked that you're __losing?!" she continues in disbelief._

My mind is whirling.Can't let her think something's wrong!

"I guess I'm a little tired," I say—not entirely a lie—feigning embarrassment.Jesse snickers.

"Well, you can't go to sleep until I've beaten you," she says, picking up a red pellet."D-4."

I sigh—taking the pellet from her—Jesse mistaking it for a sigh of defeat.I guess it is in a way; she sunk my battleship.

"One down, four to go!" she proclaims happily.

Meowth stirs in his sleep, knocking a few playing cards to the floor and muttering something about a filthy Persian.

Probably dreaming about revenge.I'll have to ask him about it later.

In the meantime…

"J-3."

"Hah!Miss!F…5."

"Hit."

Jesse grins again triumphantly, twisting the knife in my heart even more.

Oh, how I dread the day!Every Valentine's Day we exchange the same cards: "To my best friend and a great partner!"in bold purple letters, bought from the Team Rocket Headquarters store.Then we would hug, chase Meowth for a hug too, and Jesse would refrain from hitting me for a day.

"F-6."

"Miss."

I pause, cringing at the memory."To my best friend…"Every year that familiar card felt like a worn-out lie.

"James, it's your turn."

"F-3," I reply, naming off a random point.Jesse curses lightly.

"Hit."

I blink, caught off guard.

"Uh…F-2."

"Miss…G-5."

"Hit."

I couldn't stand to give her that card again.I couldn't wake up and say, "Happy Valentine's Day, best friend!" and give her a friendly hug and chase Meowth with her and walk downtown for breakfast past all the happy couples.I couldn't snicker over my coffee again while Jesse mocked those same couples through the café window, the whole time wishing we could be like that.

When tomorrow came…I don't think I could pretend not to love her again.

"H-5."

"Hit, sunk."

Jesse absolutely glows as she gives me a triumphant grin.It's meant to mock me and make me upset, but it means all the world to me.

And in that instant, all of my stubborn resolves seem to sink with that ship.

Slamming the lid down on my board determinedly, I push my chair away from the table and stand up.

"James!I've only sunk two ships.I haven't won _yet!" objects Jesse, mistaking my determination for anger._

Ignoring her confusion, I take her by the hands and pull her to her feet.

"James, what are you doing?" she asks in confusion.Instead of answering, I take her chin in my hands.

And with all the passion I can muster with my heart beating like a drum, kiss her full on the mouth.

I can feel her shock—her whole body going rigid with it and her jaw setting in my hands.Then it melts away—having lasted only several heartbeats—and she leans into me, wrapping her arms around my neck and returning the kiss.

After what seems like a long time but not nearly long enough, she pulls away and looks me in the eyes.

"What…what was that for?" she breathes, looking amazed.No longer nervous, I smile and kiss her tenderly.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Jesse," I whisper.Her eyes brim with tears.

"Happy Valentine's Day, James," she murmurs happily, resting her head on my shoulder and hugging me tightly.

Meowth shifts and murmurs again in his sleep, another card fluttering to the floor.

Pulling out of the embrace, Jesse looks at me again, a feral grin on her face.

"Don't forget," she says, kissing me again, "_I still have a game to win."_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sooooo, what'd ya think?Kind of a simple romance, huh?I thought, if I made it less mushy by adding some irony or humor to it, maybe all you romance-haters would actually read it.Did ya?If ya did, did you like it?And did all you pro-romantics like it too?Stop nodding your head like a goofy car ornament and E-mail me!I can't read minds!(Wish I could though…) =^0^=


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